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      transportation network that addresses regional transportation needs,
      environmental stewardship, the efficient movement of freight and
      commerce, the needs of communities and the ability to foster economic
      development that is so important to the future of our State.
      This plan is a constantly evolving document, and we invite you to share
      your vision with us so together, we can ensure our transportation
      network meets the needs of Maryland well into the future.

      John D. Porcari
      Secretary
       
      Introduction
      You Are Here.

      Rush hour. Sunday drive. Next-day delivery. Bus ride. Parkway. Traffic
      jam. Main Street. These experiences, familiar to each of us, are why the
      transportation system affects Marylander's daily lives so profoundly.
      The job of building and operating that system for Maryland is entrusted
      to the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT), and MDOT is in turn
      guided by various policy and functional plans.

      This document, the 1999 Maryland Transportation Plan (MTP), sets forth a
      vision for the future with goals and policies to guide transportation
      decision making over the next 20 years. The impact of many of the goals
      and policies will be realized over even a longer time frame.

      The 1999 version, like its predecessor plans that date back to the
      organization of the Department in 1971, reflects changes and trends in
      Maryland's demands for mobility, as well as economic, demographic and
      environmental considerations. The 1999 MTP responds to these changes,
      and advances transportation's role in supporting State policy priorities
      such as seamless intermodal connections, economic development, community
      revitalization and stewardship of natural resources. The MTPÕs goals and
      policies guide the future funding of Maryland's comprehensive network of
      transportation facilities, and the resulting capital program is compiled
      on a six-year cycle.

      Six elements comprise the transportation plan, each addressing the
      transportation issues surrounding a different policy area: Community
      Mobility, Economic Development, Freight Transportation, Funding and
      Finance, Regional Transportation and Smart Growth.

      Maryland's Transportation History.

      Maryland has a proud and storied transportation history. From Colonial
      times Maryland benefited from water transportation, early post and toll
      roads and the first Federally supported road in the Nation, the National
      Road. In the 19th century the B&O Railroad and C&O Canal increased the
      strategic importance of the State. With the Port of Baltimore, World War
      II production of the Liberty fleet in Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay
      fishing industry, Maryland's economic and cultural identity is
      inextricably tied to both the development and use of transportation.
      This identity is reflected in Maryland's family traditions including
      trips across the Bay Bridge to Ocean City in the summer, riding Light
      Rail to Camden Yards, drives to Western Maryland's historic battlefields
      and watching sailboat races on the Chesapeake Bay. Transportation has a
      fundamental role in supporting the quality of life that the people of
      Maryland have come to count on.

      Mobility is MDOT's Mission.

      The principal mission of MDOT is mobility, which means getting people
      and goods to destinations and markets. Mobility is achieved in Maryland
      through an intermodal network of roads, transit, rails, trains, ships
      and airways as well as pedestrian and bicycle facilities. In providing
      mobility the Department must accommodate and foster a variety of
      economic and social needs.

      Transportation is also about livability. Livability is created through
      access to economic opportunities, housing choices, parks and green
      spaces, clean air and water and high quality public services. The MTP
      seeks to provide livability for Marylanders in three ways.
      First, the MTP supports access for people and goods to places and
      markets. This is accomplished through a network of interconnected
      highway and transit facilities and services that link trip origins and
      destinations and ensure quality with transit system reliability and
      reasonable congestion levels.

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